NEO,
Isn't Nigerdock Syrian owned
Hence my earlier mention of Syrian/Lebanese partners
Nigerdock is part of the Jagal group. The Chairman of the Jagal group of companies (which owns Atlantic Aviation) and Nigerdock (which is situated on Snake Island, where CHC now have their base at the old Shell location) is Anwar Jarmakani whose family originates from Syria. Anwar Jarmakani has been in numerous well-publicised property disputes with his brothers and other blood relatives. The company was accused by a Nigerian House of Representatives committee of gun running in 2008.
The founding father of the Jarmakani family in Nigeria was Nayif Jarmakani, who died in 2005 in Beirut. Nayif was born in in Salkhad, Al Sweida, Syria. He went to the American University of Beirut and graduated with a BA in 1957. This was followed by by a period teaching English in Aleppo, Syria and in Kuwait. In the early 1960s, he moved to Nigeria where he started a number of businesses, including transport, construction, and furniture companies. Anwar, also a graduate of the American University Beirut, although the youngest of Nayif Jarmakani's 4 sons, won the battle to control the most profitable of his late father's companies. I hear he has dual Lebanese and Nigerian citizenship as do many of the Lebanese community who have lived in Nigeria for much of their lives.
Thjey do seem strange bedfellows for CHC which is an American company since its purchase by First Reserve. However, I guess that means they did due diligence on Atlantic Aviation before going into partnership with them, and the Jagal group has a lot of good contacts because of all the work Nigerdock does for many of the oil companies here.